Help for Third Sector organisations

Charities and social enterprises are being offered advice on how to weather the storm of public spending cuts at a free event organised by the University of Wolverhampton.

The Third Sector seminar on Tuesday, 20 March 2012 will provide practical advice to help local charities and social enterprises prepare for the challenges ahead.

The event from 12.30pm to 4pm at the Holiday Inn at Wolverhampton Racecourse will include high profile speakers from the sector.

The seminar is being organised by experts at the University of Wolverhampton Business School, who carried out research as part of a business solutions voucher to assist charities and social enterprises prepare for the withdrawal of funding and the provision of services by the state.

Students at the Business School have linked up with local charity partners in the past two years, raising in excess of £33,000, and hope to increase the fundraising total to over £50,000 by March 2012.

Barry Whitehouse, Senior Lecturer in Enterprise and Strategic Management, said: “We feel we can offer help to strategic and senior operations managers, in local social enterprises and charities and hence we are hosting a free seminar to share our expertise.

“The event will provide useful help and advice to charities and social enterprises about how to weather the storm of public spending cuts.”

Speakers at the seminar, titled The Challenges the Sector Faces in its Future Operating Environment, include Michael Norton OBE, author and founder of organisations such as the Directory of Social Change, Changemakers, Youthbank, UnLtd, and Buzzbank, and Eileen Hammond, who has 30 years experience in the voluntary sector in a wide variety of posts ranging from Area Fundraiser to Chief Executive.

Other speakers include Robert Ashton, experienced social entrepreneur, campaigner and author, and Hannah Reynolds, who is Managing Director of Mischievous Marketing, a creative communications agency servicing a wide range of organisations including public sector, third sector and small firms.

If you would like to attend, please contact Marie Porello to book your free place on 01902 323874 or m.porello@wlv.ac.uk

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736